Suicidal Ideation Therapists in Rainier Valley, Seattle, WA

Welcome to Bravura Counseling. I proudly specialize in mental health wellness for active duty and retired first responders, as well as military members and veterans, and their family members, throughout Washington State. I focus on providing counseling that addresses some of the most urgent mental health conditions affecting our first responder and military communities, including: PTSD, critical incident trauma, anxiety, depression, suicide prevention, burnout/workplace stress, substance abuse, and work/life balance.

My Clients: I regularly work with clients on common issues such as: major life transitions, depression, anxiety, struggles with work-life balance, racial identity, family of origin issues, grief, trauma, and addiction recovery. I am passionate about working with: People of color, Students, people who identify as possessing multiple minority identities, LGBTQIA+, relationship problems, bicultural stress, cultural adjustment, sexual trauma, and issues related to sexual identity and gender. I am also comfortable working with non-heteronormative relationship lifestyles; particularly navigating issues related to open/poly relationships.

Hi, I'm Gladys I specialize in providing therapy to women to prevent and treat perinatal (time before and after birth, usually during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum) mood and anxiety disorders. While that is my specialty, my services are not limited to perinatal clients. I am passionate about studying trauma and raising awareness about mental health disparities, resources, and support. Please visit my website for my information.

Do you feel broken? Do you struggle to feel connected and present in relationships? Are you often stuck in numbness or struggle with intense emotions and don't know how to cope? You long to decrease the daily distress you experience and I can help you get there. I help people move from surviving to thriving. I am successful at what I do and I can help you become more empowered to improve your mental health and your relationships.

I have worked in a variety of settings with virtually all walks of life. My areas of specialization include chronic pain, life transitions, loss, sleep issues, caregivers, issues associated with aging, and disabilities.

I imagine that you are looking for a safe and trusting place to explore some of the issues that lead you to seek therapy. You may be seeking a non-pathologizing framework to help you focus inward and acknowledge how the burdens from the past might be playing a role in your current life. You may also be seeking a place to explore the meaning of your life and who you are at the core. I seek to offer a space for you to access a deeper understanding of yourself.

I aim to empower others like me who have constantly heard “it is not okay to go to therapy and share your personal life with anyone,” to help shift this tabooed narrative into a more positive one. It is OKAY to share your personal life with someone who can help build that trusting relationship with you, and it is also okay to express your feelings and emotions without feeling the pressures of shame and guilt. I use the space we create together to encourage deconstructing harmful internalized messages, processing experiences of attachment and trauma, and managing relational and personal challenges.

I welcome people who are facing any number of challenges including life transitions such as divorce, job loss, illness, death of a loved one; all shifting the ground beneath us in dramatic ways. What worked no longer works. My trMy training as a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher complements training and practice in psychotherapy addressing a dysregulated emotion system resulting in various symptoms such as anxiety, panic, depression, and identity disturbance and sometimes even a desire to die or hurt oneself. There can be a painful sense of isolation and feeling unmoored. There is a way out; first understanding, then tools to heal.

If you are wanting a deeper and more authentic connection to yourself and the people in your life, I'd love to help. I can support you in strengthening your innate sense of wellbeing and self awareness so that you can face life's inevitable challenges with more ease. I can help you to untangle painful parts of your past that may be getting in the way of your ability to enjoy life. Ideally leading to more fulfilling relationships, authentic joy, and connection to yourself and your goals.

Life does not always flow smoothly. The past, the present, or the future can seem unclear or full of obstacles. People can get stuck, feel trapped, and the road forward is not always in plain sight. There is always a way forward. In my counseling work I am dedicated to helping people advance towards being their optimal selves, towards self-acceptance, and towards achieving their most impossible goals. With experience and specialized training in couples counseling, with mental health disorders, families, and in crisis situations, I utilize the therapeutic relationship in all of my work.

Welcome! I am glad you are here and taking the first step to make change in your life. I practice from an integrative perspective to fit the needs of each client. Each person has a unique situation that requires me to listen to your story with compassion, curiosity, and openness. I work with clients across the age-span, though I have extensive experience with ages 15-30. Many of my clients enter therapy after a life crisis such as a struggling child or adolescent, a death or illness, a change in career, a break-up, the affect of an addiction, identity issues, or simply patterns of worry or regret.

Many times when people find themselves in challenging circumstances, they are able to find solutions on their own. This innovation and resourcefulness in people excites me and gives me hope. Other times, the difficulties life throws one's way may seem too overwhelming, complicated or scary to deal with. Sometimes people come up with temporary solutions to problems so they can cope in the meantime. All of these responses to adversity and challenges are normal and, in my experience, people seek out therapy when their options or their “stories” feel stuck.

I work with children and adolescents struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, grief and loss, family changes, challenging peer relationships and the behaviors that can result from these issues. I have training and experience using Play Therapy and Sandplay, which employ children's natural way of communicating and learning, as well as other therapeutic modalities as appropriate to each individual. My approach is client centered and often non-directive, believing that when children experience emotional safety in a non-judgmental relationship, their inner wisdom naturally emerges to guide their learning, healing and growth.

We are all in this together. Counseling is a collaborative process of exploration and experimentation leading to new ways of engaging with ourselves, the people around us, and the world as a whole. By learning how our past shaped our survival skills and beliefs, we create the possibility of acceptance, growth and change. Our society is troubled in many ways, and this is a place to take stock, try a different approach, and plant the seeds of change for ourselves and others. I have over 20 years of experience in mental health, with a focus on EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Motivational Interviewing, CBT and Mindfulness.

UPDATE: I have room for 2-3 new clients that can pay out of pocket (I hate writing this, but it's the reality for therapists in the world of managed care).However, I am also diversifying my career and and am open to many clients as a trauma writing mentor/editor and more. Writing through healing is at least of equal value to psychotherapy. If you are interested in these services, visit me at www.elihastings.com) - I would be so delighted to work in tandem with other therapists, so please do consider if your clients might benefit!

I am an artist/poet turned therapist. My method is to slowly build a therapeutic relationship, uncover strengths, and move toward client-identified treatment goals. I support clients to externalize problematic narratives or inner states they are stuck in through creative mediums. Once clients are resourced and can see, and then interact with their patterns and parts they make changes. Together we discover and incorporate parts of the self that had to go underground due to trauma or oppression. Clients emerge from their work, whole and empowered.

I work with clients ages 18 and older from a variety of diverse backgrounds. I specialize in working with past trauma, emotional neglect, grief, anxiety, depression, sexual abuse, and everyday stressors, secondary trauma (especially for caregivers). In addition if you find that you have become stuck and need a boost to get back to enjoying life again, I can assist you in overcoming these challenges and discovering your own untapped inner resilience, strength, and authenticity in a way that is deeply meaningful.

I believe that every individual has the ability to make change, heal and grow. I will create a supportive environment where you will be heard, new skills can be learned and also practiced. My treatment methods are grounded in evidence-based models, while allowing for the flexibility to individualize to best meet your needs. I want to make therapy work for you and know that no approach is perfect for everyone. I primarily use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), exposure, Mindfulness techniques and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Together we will decide what works for you.

In a success driven society the demands on one's life can feel endless. Most people are experiencing the necessity to juggle several competing roles and responsibilities simultaneously. The human capacity to grow, expand, adapt and thrive is amazing and inspiring. However, there is no human on this earth who is perfect and not effected by prolonged states of stress & pressure. This pressure leads to depression, anxiety, disconnection, isolation and many other ailments. Compassion focused therapy is a central component to my therapeutic approach. Treatment incorporates empowering your voice to optimize your path towards healing. Change is within reach.